Eye screws are screws having a circular head portion formed from an elongate rod blank having a generally constant diameter and threads formed in one end. At a position immediately beyond the threads, the rod is bent to extend in a generally circular manner with the terminus of the rod closely adjacent the initial bend. This forms a screw having a head portion with an eyelet formed therethrough. Eye screws may be formed with different head sizes from the same diameter rod stock providing screws having the same diameter shank, yet with head portions bent to differing circular diameters and therefore different sized eyelets.
Eye screws are typically used in situations wherein a strand-like member must be attached to a wall, post, or other support surface. For example, eye screws are typically used to fasten support wire to a picture frame. Further, eye screws can be used in more industrial applications, such as for suspending support strands from ceilings or walls.
Unlike other conventional screws wherein a screwdriver fits in a slotted head portion to positively engage the screw for rotational driving insertion thereof into a support member, eye screws have no such slotted head, cannot interface with a screwdriver, and typically must therefore be inserted by hand. Using hand insertion, the most difficult time associated with inserting an eye screw is during the initial starting motions wherein the screw first pierces the support member. It can be difficult to provide the sufficient linear force necessary to drive the eye screw while maintaining the eye screw in position and applying the necessary torque to start the eye screw by gripping the eye portion. In the case of smaller eye screws, this can be especially difficult due to the diminutive gripping surface provided by the head portion and, if the requirement is for multiple eye screws, the problem can be multiplied accordingly. While the preceding discussion focused on inserting an eye screw, the same problems are applicable to removing eye screws. Further, similar problems are encountered with eye hooks which are similar in construction to eye screws except that the head portion is formed as a hook.
Additionally, today's handyman has access to rotary drive power screwdrivers which greatly increases the ability to rapidly insert or remove a number of conventional screws in untiring succession. However, like conventional screwdrivers, power screwdrivers have had no capability to engage and drive eye screws.